A Choo!
by Queen Regent Of The North
Summary: Minerva was seriously begining to wonder when the house elves last dusted under Albus's desk...


**A promt from my 'sister' (thank you twist!) Which was 'someone sneezes' **

Minerva McGonnagal sauntered into Albus Dumbledore's office late one evening. Although most people would have been asleep by now she knew Albus would still be awake, sucking on a lemon drop and replying to the owls of the day so after she'd finished marking she headed up. Quite like her animagus form Minerva came alive at night and the few students who had ever had the miss fortune to see her after curfew saw a whole new side to their Transfiguration professor...at least until she caught them. She had also inherited a cats keen eyesight in the dark. Right now she was bored, all her marking was completed and the students had been surprisingly well behaved all night. Even Peeves was content in howling away in some forsaken tower for the night. She stood near his desk and waited for him to notice her as his quill scratched away at. He paused and reached for another sweet from the bowl on his desk. He caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye and jumped, upsetting his ink pot as he did so.

"Merlin you made me jump!" He exclaimed "how long have you been standing there?"

"Only a few minutes." She said as she waved her wand and set the ink pot straight.

"Sometimes I wish your animagus could have been an elephant. Then at least I would hear you coming." He grumbled making her chuckle

"An Elephant? Really Albus is that how you think of me? I know I'm not as thin as I was when I was a student here but that's entirely your fault." She told him sternly as she sat down across from him

"Oh, Minerva I didn't mean that you were- I only meant then I'd- that is to say- oh blast it!" He mumbled getting all tongue tied. His deputy was not the easiest to cope with when she got angry. Finally he took a deep breath before saying

"Minerva McGonnagal, I did not intend to insinuate that you were fat or even chubby. All I meant is then you wouldn't be able to sneak up on me so easily."

"Ah Albus, why don't you want me to sneak up on you? Are you writing to your mistress?" She teased as she raised one eyebrow

"As if another woman could ever compare to you." He said as he reached across the table to take her hand "I love you Minerva-soon-to-be-Dumbledore"

She blushed as she watched him run his thumb across her engagement ring

"I love you too you barmy old coot" she answered quietly

"Now who's being offensive?" Albus asked in mock outrage before catching her eye and grinning broadly

"I think there's a little too much distance between us love" he said and the next thing she know she was seated on his lap on the other side of the desk

"Albus! You know I hate it when you levitate me" she scolded, clinging tightly to him as the familiar wave of dizziness set in. She closed her eyes and waited for it to subside.

"Biscuit?" He offered when she finally opened them again.

"No thank you." She declined, as she looked up into his twinkling eyes. "But I wouldn't mind something sweet..." she added.

"Sherbet Lemon then?" He asked picking the bowl up and offering it to her

"Albus don't be obtuse!" She scolded and he grinned back at her before bending slightly and kissing her soundly.

"Albus?" A voice called from the entrance to her office. They broke apart and listened as the foot steps came closer. Albus didn't even stop to think before he shoved Minerva off his lap and under his desk. They'd agreed when they first got together that no one could ever know about the two of them. Each were incredibly powerful in their own right, and together they would be almost unstoppable. But it was too dangerous for both them and hogwarts should their enemies find out.

"Ah Cornelius" Albus greeted the newly appointed Minister of Magic warmly as he stood up and shook the young mans hand. "What brings you here so late?"

Cornelius looked confused before he dug around in his pocket and pulled out a pocket watch

"Great Snakes is that the time?" He exclaimed "I do apologize for disturbing you this late"

'As you should be' thought Minerva sarcastically as she hunched lower under the desk. She hoped Albus would make this quick, it was rather uncomfortable down there.

"Not to worry" said Albus reassuringly "how can I help?"

"Well the thing is I'm considering enlarging the Auror department and I'm not sure how to go about it. I want to do a good job, you see, and with all these Dark wizards appearing round every corner I think this is of vital importance"

'You disturb the head master of hogwarts at eleven at night to discuss this?' Wondered Minerva

"Cornelius, I don't wish to be rude but could this not have waited until morning? I hardly think a few hours delay in paperwork would be too much of a crisis" Albus asked, eerily echoing her thoughts

"Yes but hours delayed mean unhappy people which I cannot afford to have happen. If I have any hope of bettering the ministry I need them to love me!" Fudge insisted as he began pacing around Albus's office

"My dear man, if you spend your time trying to get people to love you you're going to end up the most popular dead man in town. For some to love you, others must hate you" Albus said sensibly "I think it would be best if you went home and got some sleep. We can discuss this in the morning."

"But Albus-"

Minerva was suddenly overcome by the sudden urge to sneeze.

'Merlins beard when was the last time he dusted down here?' She wondered as she attempted to stifle it

A CHOO!

Cornelius stopped in the middle of his tirade

"Albus, did someone just sneeze?"

Before Albus could answer another sneeze came from below his desk

"Albus" said Fudge firmly "is there a woman under your desk?"

Albus sighed before answering heavily

"Yes, Cornelius, there is a woman under my desk."

Cornelius looked shocked

"But...but aren't you gay?" He finally asked

"Really Cornelius, if you're going to be a good minister for magic you should learn not to believe everything the papers tell you. Especially Rita Skeeter's column" Albus told him sharply. This seemed to shake the poor man from his shock

"Yes yes of course, well I'll um I'll leave you to it then. Uh may I use your floo?"

"By all means" smiled Albus, back to his usual accommodating self.

Once he had left Albus crouched down to peer under his desk

"You can come out now" he told her with a grin

"No" she said meekly "I'm just going to hide here until my shame has disappeared"

"He'll never guess it was you"

Minerva shot him an incredulous look

"Honestly Albus who else would he think it is?"

"Who knows." Albus said holding out his hand "now do come out from under there, you're covered in dust!"

"I was going to talk to you about that." She informed him as she finally climbed out. He groaned

"Not now!" He muttered and promptly shut her up with a kiss

**I goeth down! I begeth for reviews! **


End file.
